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Nicosia, Tel Aviv confirm energy ties

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the two countries’ cooperation in the natural gas sector during Anastasiades’s official visit in Israel on Sunday.

In particular, the two sides discussed the unitization issue regarding the Aphrodite and Yishai gas fields, and concluded that by September the two countries’ energy ministers will seek to finalize these discussions.

The Israeli foreign ministry announced that in the context of the exploration and development of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, both leaders agreed that there is no question that resolving the outstanding issues between Cyprus and Turkey would greatly facilitate the pace of the development of future projects – which will proceed according to international law – and also greatly enhance stability in the region.

“Therefore, Israel has a strong interest in the resolution of this issue,” the ministry said.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of the trilateral framework between Israel, Cyprus and Greece, saying that they will reconvene by the end of the year, as was agreed between the parties at the Nicosia Summit on January 28.